Breakfast Briefings Presents Sebastian Junger

7/24/2013 2:24PM

Author, journalist and documentarian Sebastian Junger talks about his award-winning film, "Restrepo," and his latest documentary, "Which Way is the Front Line From Here? The Life and Time of Tim Hetherington." He spoke with WSJ's Wendy Bounds in the latest interview in the Breakfast Briefings series. Photo: Jeff Bush.

This transcript has been automatically generated and may not be 100% accurate.

... the ... I ... I the prior art here in Midtown Manhattan and Wendy downs Joinus lipid Wall Street Journal Summer Breakfast Briefings we're so pleased to have our final guest the series today ... Sebastian younger is one of the top more journalists in the country his offer also authored ... several books including a perfect the perfect storm as well as more ... an Academy Award nominated documentary filmmaker well Sebastian well ... I took a forty and the nitty gritty here ... true or false Sebastian ... you once wore a climber ... and with an Arbor is a landscaping company with chainsaws and then decided that was so dangerous that you decide what about other people doing things yourself ... yes I was I was a clever for three companies have a good idea for years I really enjoyed Edward ... sixty seventy eighty in the air with a chainsaw no ... big trees down and in pieces ... the idea but leg ... of with a chainsaw for my left leg and that got me thinking about ... five dangers work and how ... it's a lot of dangerous dogs ... that America depends on them ... the people who do those jobs legal can acknowledge ... and I want to write about dangerous work and I was so it ... goes why wrote the proposal ... I knew gone on to that about multiple fields of both is ... and isn't journalism as well as Widgetbox and filmmaking ... at both the cold war ended two recent documentaries for strep oh and which way is the Front Line from Here ... their toll this unique vantage point of of of male camaraderie ... I'm and I'm interested in when what from a story standpoint what attracts you about that and ... and why do you feel you know going over there that that that that particular storyline ... can link itself so perfectly what you're doing ... well when the Gestapo with late ... Kolitch another region where O global war of the platoon ... about twenty metre hilltop in Afghanistan in the remote combat outpost there was ... no internet no TV no phone and a lot of back and ... what are the things that were there was a lot of ... while fighting and I saw lot of bravery one thing that interested me was ... I studied anthropology in college right so survival of the fittest and all that if you if you're for it twenty years old this year ... very courageous if you're self sacrificing in combat you probably will not pass on your jeans ... and ... by have until the kids you might get killed earlier than it should so ... how is it ... how does it work in terms of evolution ... Mr is where ... I Why discourage exist legacy of protecting Your Dome ... protecting your mate ... but what what evolutionary pressure is there to protect ... the sacrifice itself for ... the same sex here ... doesn't make sense in Darwinian terms that one and understanding basically the way it works is ... they ... give ... everyone in a small group into in a hostile environment is prepared to die for everyone else ... that everyone in the group is safer ... here's us in your ensure that that that the whole is greater than the parts that are not just twenty people ... your ... if twenty people were committed to each other like that have the effect of forty people or something like ... there is actually an evolutionary advantage ... although individuals dying ... in our evolutionary origins ... you'll probably related everywhere else in the group so you might die but you're the DNA is passed on to his nephews would ever in that in terms of evolution is held to resume seems to work ... so the new land scam I send Hetherington who is the subject matter of her ... documentary which way is the Front Line from here ... I didn't see a hand dyed activity of reading was killed by mortar rounds of forty years old the Dow's eleven ... stingy link and become a part of that mentality I mean did you ... to think in a real part of a group think ... as a journalist not immediately the city's bonds take a while ... um you have to ... have ... real ... on this for for the people of that ... what does the platoon said you know the guys that the two stray updated other but we all buy for him to ... that ... that form of wanting takes a while but after several trips to the nice for the year off and on that this too ... after several trips ... the way it works is ... you basically if you see someone in danger ... you can protect yourself and let them die or you can try to help them and risk dying and with the decision is basically could I'd live with myself ... might not help them let them ... be them to their faith ... and live with myself ... um you see the answer is no acute care about the present ... and that's how it works and Tim and I I think after that to three trips ... um ... I think we certainly were in in that bought my bike aptly winner is my life that helps them or really any one of the platoon I think they will also so but it takes a little while ago at first it is the new kid in ... the new kid in school we don't know where to sit at once well known but very much feels like a ... house not ... today run conducted only contact into those now ... that I've got a double and in U S personnel ... five and eighty ... one shares ... and that's that sees him ... did you and Tim feel ... more vulnerable in some ways an hour I was biting attack the camera guys about this and they were liking of the Housing Sebastian to how they protect themselves when they're not they're not carrying guns during the same dangerous situations ... don't you have all this equipment to cure ... caring what point you decide ... my life their life the story like how you prioritize all that when you are hit by fire ... we basically this euro this is small unit tactics in their maneuvering but see robots widen your safety ... even with the soldiers doesn't necessarily depend on what you're doing with your gut ... it's a little bit like a football game ... I mean ... that doesn't suck or didn't see movement in your SE save your success depends on what the entire team is doing ... and so you can be part of that system as a cameraman ... the bigger cuts should be done right ... you're part of a ... very effective tactical system and in so you're in it ... if you're good if you're thinking about what's happening in the obese here ... if you thinking about your job ... you will be scared ... and that's true if you're a soldier or camera ... in the one time I really was paralyzed ... um ... we got hit very subtly my camera was like right there ... I couldn't get to it because I can see the bullets it in the grab it remain the camera ... and because I had nothing to do I was terrified ... and TM actually ... OS ... should throw him self in his gear was over there too he can throw salt over this across this gap ... I'm paralyzed by the ruins of across the steppe ... threw me my camera ... put his camera around his neck to start showing ammo to the soldiers they were pinned down to an older animal was there ... and see ... what's I have my camera my can of fun ... thing to have this or that would search for the sort of find calm in the middle of the chaos of purpose and all the candy that you need a purpose you need a job and you have a job when you're in danger here for live coverage of the coolest ... debut one after ... after his death is your privacy ... very close to the work of a strep but together ... did you think ... maybe now ... I ain't Sebastian's to dial back ... the Novi work in these war zones because of that Amanda tenure thinking about it before his dad ... today I was most of the other side and Libya ... and the I the last last minute decision I couldn't go for personal reasons to win on his own he was killed ... he bled out from Ohio who moved from a mortar ... and I felt incredibly guilty and is ... one of the ... bike to work to that but I ... um ... almost immediately within an hour or so I decided after twenty years I'm not in a cover warning more ... I was a public data decision but it's been almost been two years now and and I've never regretted you've never read it ... do you think they knew and Cam ... and Eason and Eaton formed a bond with when you were ... caught ... out ... our filming for strep bow and and the andthe other films ... do you think you all that had the same on ... that here if you just met ... in bars here in New York with which it has a relationship with them in France ... I would of been we would get me to but I certainly wouldn't writes some of the guys in the book to um still friends with with absolutely there's a Pursell connection which is very very strong ... um ... but that ... that sense of brotherhood is different from friends to ... as bright yellows one of them said ... summarize each other but with all the greed of the ... Brotherhood doesn't depend on how you feel ... and it ... arises in situations where one's life is at risk ... and everyone needs an absolute commitment from everyone else in order to survive ... survive emotionally and survive physically ... in ... in civilian life or the pleasures of civilian life is that doesn't require Brotherhood ... I mean it's also one of its deficit by that ... well let's review no we're not all the likened the situation ... so we can ... choose the people were with ... based on how we feel about ... are in a situation like that you don't have rejoice in you absolutely need them and that's where this ... very powerful sense of motherhood ... comes in ... do you think you could write ... a book ... or make a failed ... with the female attack in as many thought we'd done so much about ... the Brotherhood ... would have without even interest you ... well where the captain of urban stormwater the boat captains was a woman right um ... there are women who fit into a male world basically by ... I'm ... thinking and ... acting exactly like mad ... and if they really not a female presence of the mill world they really have ... figured out how to ... um ... wanting to wade menu in combat on a fishing boat whatever it is ... likewise for civilians in the back of ... in Europe ... but if you ever civilian mentality in combat or more ... you have to think like soldiers ... um ... that's why the whole we know ... gays in the military isn't all about is completely move like if you're bringing your civilian identity ... into a combat outpost ... be at Harvard that ... day ... woman whatever it is to bring the civilian identity into a combat outpost ... the wall wart you have to be ... so ... anyone who functions in that environment has figured out how to act like ... it ... basically a male combat this ... um ... so all those all those smaller identities are our ... civilian identities rather are sort of hero ... extended never read any fiction ... I loove it ... but not anything it's published ... Iris restorer actually know about I was in the summer warns early on a Vodafone store and I went to a very very frightening ... um ... I wrote a short story based on that that ... basically took bad and made it more fun ... and more frightening ... you mention the perfect storm and then ago and I know he wrote that book ... he said in your parents' summer house ... of it was not insulated is that is that right ... and you'll only the use of turned eighteen on when you are right he had nowhere to live in it ... there were delayed by one to write this book ... I have a new money I was doing tree worth ... a try workable as possible so like to live there it's a summer house and it botanist ... and I live there in it and I mean ... it was tobacco we had ... like factories have when are you know like in the nineties that ... um it was very very cold it snowed and ... he was so cold in the house that I would track snow in the kitchen or were to stay there for weeks like it does ... it was ... I just dressed in a lot of clothes ... Edna ... the deal was that ... if I was actually waiting ... I can turn the baseboard heater on ... I wore myself but otherwise says the house was an insulated that was brought up is a good environmentalist like ... I'd I'd just wouldn't eat the whole one insulated house ... with a sporty Tianjin bothered me too but so ... is there something about the non comparable ... get you thinking enhances the creative process ... I know actually ... I think getting hit says some understanding about life ... but which may be used for the creative process I guess it should be ... um but know when you're actually right in ... you should become ... like you just don't want to be distracted you know what the CBO and ... you don't want to have your teeth chattering autos was the hint that he wouldn't write exactly ... so that your friend Sebastian ... oh ... I do and come to that came to this ... my father and citizens ... no I ... think this is this is the this is not just as you haven't bought like you just you know wanna get your email they knew I was talking a moment ago about ... trying to find room in this world with his constant stream of information ... to create and think of ideas and a concert the concert is due the people are able to do that anymore ... he added that the mind is that the mysterious and very powerful thing you need to leave it to Rome ... to find its own course you know and I and what some of the best ideas that had as a writer ... I've just come from the spacing out ... you know just ... sitting around ... thinking and what lay worrying ... about the syrup current generation of technology and for interactivity ... is that people believe Rome that this thing ... the only room in the lives they don't they're waiting for someone of Reinhart conduct is sitting in a chair ... you know like idly thinking in that's a very powerful process of mysterious and powerful process ... and I'm ... you know like I don't have a ... phone ... the I phone for Number reasons but one of them is they just don't want ... the electronic version of my life constantly nipping at my heels was a lot like ... um ... it's not I personally I don't I find it on a good thing I don't know I don't actually have a job like that where I'd ... I worked myself to read books ... I don't need to be on call and will keep asking all the time I just in some people do but ... blog if you can get away with it ... there are ... so good ... to about the smartphone and seriously ... one of the books in euro before we even had the smartphone generation that people might not know sauce on the other with your other works was above call it death ... in Belmont on the streets around and questions about a handyman who worked in your home and later ... confessed ... to being the Boston strangle or what what me you want to ... go back and tell that story Sebastian Bach I drove with his story a Grove of Boston ends ... um was six months old my parents hired a contractor ... where the workers through that one of the word is the guiding Talpa salvo and eight ... built in addition to the Rebbe did a very small house they build a one room addition ... and this is during the Boston strengths aunts ... but you're too later my mother ... my mother had a very very scary incident with out the beginning of this job the ... up early one morning before they actually started the job ... al crept into the basement our basement ... I called up to my mother my mother with me ... she didn't know he was the bosses try to go this is the owl the guy was going to be working on the house ... is like a the morning my father just left it obviously waited to ... see that ... my dad was gone ... the way the basement and they call them my lot Mrs younger than you can down here ... the washing machines broke ... ING's died ... does this for a woman's intuition but the washing machines not all I'm already excited to its maybe actually obvious ... the washing machines not on ... Al's not supposed to be down there is not his problem what's going to see open the door to look down ... the steps and said that ... yet a look in his eyes that she'd never seen before just completely ... um ... just cut rates ... and she shut the door and said I'm busy Alan to walk the door to our left ... and um ... she also asked the boss ... to ... fire out like that in one get someone fired is for ... which she thought was the look in its IPO she was trying to soothe wrestling with this right ... four years later ... it turned out that he confessed to being a Boston strength ... my book is about Ember the murder that happened down the street while now was working for us alone in our household actually ... and a woman named Bessie Goldberg was raped and strangled ... classic Boston straddling but they ... charged and and aam ... convicted of black guy from Mississippi name was Smith ... before al confessed everything ... moist with ... a knee when he died in prison saying he didn't feel that way and ... so the book is about the possibility that actually ... now the salvo build a single word I couldn't prove it ... I didn't really ... need to ... prove it I just wanted ... it's interesting matter of law right like how do you know ... again from good determination about facts ... um ... basically the books about reasonable doubt and how we decide that we know things ... when you immerse yourself ... in a story like like that or ... any of the stores are situations that you can dine in your work when ... when you have such an appetite for risk and you describe this one says ... of the beautiful woman that both you and Tim were in love with brightening ... risk is something that's ... if you are attracted to ... how does that affect your other relationships added effect insulation stepped ... up with with his ... wife the rpm the opposite direction married it ... known they were not yet go when girlfriend and how does that affect your personal relationships when people not everybody has that same baseline Sebastian ... no that's true ... and I think is new ... but I mean ... I think is you get older ... you invest more more and delays in the voices of the year and romantic and otherwise ... and less and less in what is ... essentially a very selfless and endeavor which is in building your own ... taste rest in knowing but ... it doesn't happen overnight year which is gradually goes like this need to go to your thirties and forties I found ... the things that were meaningful and thirty are really alike ... and thirty with meaningful is ... what was meaningful to me was one of the things taking risks ... yup if he's just not ... you know it feels low but like this to the game I don't need to play more than what ... feels much more meaningful is like real connection to people I care about I know that sounds kind of ... five cheesy but it's true is the absolute truth you know and and but ... you know you ... you achieve I achieve that regret ... and I'm glad I didn't even any faster than a half ... not that I think that's a big effect on when something that ... people no matter what age you can identify with ... the know as as we as we grow up and then grow older ... our adult I let everybody s questions in just a moment but one thing I'm curious about his ... objectivity of the ... detainees The Journal says something you never think about all the time but when you're you're embedded in Yuma come this close to the people ... you're telling your story ... if it's nonfiction your partner might how you balance those two ... well objectivity is something you just right for but ... understanding this the possible work human re-establish human license ... that sickly the situation really depend on other people ... um ... I mean if you're ... it's not just in in the day I mean if you're doing a ... story about the police department fire department of construction through whatever like ... your ... you establish relationships and of all the sudden see those people ... so like ... the way you have to do is try to be objective ... but mostly you have to be sure of August with yourself ... and the level War ... I the eye of a whole paragraph was said love of with these guys for year about objective forget about I really like these guys I'm not objective but ... you DBRS about the fact about object ... that I was trying to capture their experiences soldiers soldiers are objective either about each other ... they're very subjective and I said to my readers under that were to enter a subjective world ... were not evaluating the war ... we try to understand the experience of these men ... and ... as long as you're clear about what you're doing ... you couldn't ... you can be subjected to just up and put up a side you readers saying of subjective now ... so ... understand everything I say in those terms rather than an objective and you just have to be clearly read ... it that I think that's true I think that's that's a very poignant did that in the book and he basically set up Friday ... night that said ... I had a million more questions for him but I wanna open up to you guys who wants to be the brave soul to raise their hand personally bring them like a ... every Gap ... brace off ... the ... the ... to set what is the week I get the CD that my croissant a gap ... on the fourth storm ... surge recently read that ... um ... we really liked the idea that it's ... it's also one of the um ... what effect that ... you know they're actively helped ... lead the ... the ... just recently over the last boss is rather bake them a Merry sold and ... bought her the DNA found in her was erased reading the DNA ... found in her was linked to ... the de Silva family ... um there was ... has always been a big controversy in Boston about it the Salvos confessions were legitimate ... a lot of people feel that um ... Delta's the conspiracy theorists that he'd actually didn't kill anybody ... DNA is now shown absolutely that he killed Mary soul that I tend to think that it be ... killed one woman ... and claims who kills ... a dozen others he ... does a pretty good chance that ... right here in the back of ... my ... time Mr. younger fantastic top ... end of a I'd really love or step over them of the documentary ... I understand you've been a combat zone several times ... how do you ... condition your set since it's not just a matter of just going to want to go there repeatedly ... condition yourself ... to go into that Sarah situ in ... situation every time is are we use they fit or ... mentally prep yourself but so that that's her thing it up ... I aam ... the first four I was in was in nineteen eighty three in Bosnia ... and I've been going back periodic Lee every war as a particular dangers ... and things are particularly scary about it ... um ... humans are really adaptable ... Bedok physically have a pretty good shape like ... like I didn't have to worry about that too much but mentally ... where I found was that I was always much more apprehensive and nervous before ... hands ... then serve anticipatory dread basically beforehand of what I'd actually got there ... and I know that as nervous as I can ... be before going to a place like that ... when I get there it completely changes in your mind and ... he was a really adaptable within I guarantee you ... anyone sitting here right now ... I can put you in a war zone a few days or week you would adjust to that he be scared sometimes ... other tied to the surprise that you were still ... and that life ... in a war was starting to feel that normally happen very very quickly and it would happen to all of you and that's why we've survived a species ... because we're so incredibly about ... you said that ... two years ago he decided ... the ... top of tens of all styles of us ... via web service from low forty s about sassy ... very un usual you believe the ... modest war correspondents a walk the talk was are addicted to war ... I'd you know I think addicted ... this is the wrong term I think they formed their identity ... around the idea of being a risk taker ... and then they have to reinforce that identity we all have to reinforce our identities and whatever we do ... that to reinforce that identity ... by ... going back towards regulate their adding We Albers Paul Underwood Rehling than to rest different levels of risk and that's just human ... I told it's an addiction I think is an identity issue hadn't ... I don't even think that's necessarily a bad day ... for me personally I just realize that other things in life start to feel more meaningful ... to to my identity and that part of my identity wants you know it just it just kept its like if you're an athlete you know some when your thirties ... the forties you started up or stop and edifying as Napoli ... and maybe something else it's inevitable you how you and that is what happen to me is that were of one fifty one right so ... that I tell you gotta realize like at some point ... you know you need to look for the dignified exit ... that way ... it's ... I get back ... on ... okay um ... those interested in finding and it's been kind of training information rules ... that you provided by the staff ... going into those ... places in the war zone ... that that helps you understand what you're getting yourself into ... so that you can feel comfortable and that they wouldn't feel comfortable with you knowing that you were not get hurt ... well ... I ... know I'll ... I'll what's the work of anything ... so ... I do a lot more about war than the seven Vanity fair to obviously ... um ... it's a great magazine but that one of the things I was not Guinea get from them was tells all about how to ... work towards on ... the military serve amazing but once they did what's ... president was decided that journalists to be imbedded with front line units ... the military every all ... you give them an indicted and instruction the order they like ok will do it and they don't really think about ... don't over analyze it too much ahead ... like ok we'll take journalists and ... they just ... the late start accepting journalist you're not trained your garden for money you basically have to learn on the fly ... that said ... if a commander of the ground feels that a journalist is with his unit is a danger to him self order was issued and ... the other is if he's really out of shape and can keep up on a patrol or ... or is frankly just terrified of the gunfire ... the commander can say ... um ... you were saying on the bench and are coming out of control anymore and it really is not ... that is not of ... curtailing any wins ... freedom of press that really is just the sensible decision ... about the realities of war ... but ... it's amazingly open right leg ... a twenty year often armed with a platoon ... Tim and I shot a ... very disturbed that I was very disturbing footage the military knew we were American casualties ... civilian casualties from American bombings ... everything and no one ever ... ever ever was even talk to us about ... your you sure you want to hear that but about what's the title that's not every journalists experience but I ... work seven myself I have to say I was very very proud of ... on one seventy third Airborne and this country that they can allow that kind of access to the presence of trust ... trust the access to be used on sleep ... and not in an intensely distorting way ... so much time today thinking of you saved two years ago I stopped going to war ... I just wonder what your what you're obsessed with are interested in now and second part ... are you working on a book and what the subject matter ... I ... felt it yet ... of war the war I mean this is why soldiers have trouble going back for more ... it's ... just about the most intense ... you would experience you can buy ... when I realize what I gave up going to war was that I would have to give up ... all in the idea being interested in something that's as intense as that it just doesn't exist right ... but that's ok like it ... might be deceptive recalibrate ... your level of expectation and ... um so what is ... really been ... a lot of them really miss war it's not that their psychotic killers ... who missed killing ... they miss the intensity in the sense of me and the Brotherhood ... and the sense of purpose they miss all those things as I do I get to ... um I'll sum it likes what it's you know what you do about it right ... um ... you just ... but war is also very easy to write about because it's so dramatic ... Cairns ... I realize like I risked just repeating was ... that is the repeating myself ... I continue to report a war zone when actually wrote about ... wider topics back home ... slightly quieter topics he was actually a greater challenge was chosen to write her ... nose can actually develop financing rates of what I'm doing right now ... I made to college in a weird topic ... try to describe it briefly but ... um I was interested in this ... difficulty of coming back from war for both me and the summer the best that I knew ... but victory guys ... um ... to to combat vets who are never going back toward guys didn't do very well ... and I've taught the journalist who was with my friend Jim ... of who to side with when he died ... I mean literally holdings ... um ... was not going back toward enemy of the Durham ivory SA ID ... what do was walk through were doing a ... we walked several hundred miles low railroad lines along the eastern seaboard ... um ... we were short a high speed bumps ... we bought ... get that every Southerner bridges and in abandoned buildings in in the words and the top routing every carried all our gear we didn't have sense ... very low profile we move very fast doubling dog ... heads of ... its goal of the last patrol ... and aam ... kids were basically writing a book in making a film about this very weird journey to America ... along the railroad lines where you really mean everybody like roads go around things drove I go straight to get those fleets in swamps ... St the suburbs ... every half exists or to below the ... radar ... is it's all legal and ... we did over the course of the year ... your trip in each season ... um at our last leg unfortunately though some are Legos last week ... and we're walking in daughter and ten ... degree heat index was sixty Brownback's ... along realize them with the the ay ... ay was ... I mean ... very hard ... write our what was it ever Magatte a stroke like he was he was ... pretty tough week ... thank you for sure and I know it's hard sometimes talk about something here in the middle of night that he got a ready audience of people willing to ... read the book and watch the film when that comes out and ... for strep but was out on DVD and which way the front lines of your eyes on HBO on demand in use it on DVD this fall this fall beyond the DTI of course all of your butts out what a great conversation thank you so much ... I cried ... the ... entire the entire conversation will be available on WS J dot com later in the day as well as all of our Bryant Park ... Breakfast series thank so much for being with us ...